{"id":219,"date":"2025-12-01T15:16:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T15:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/?p=219"},"modified":"2025-12-04T13:18:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T13:18:26","slug":"cedar-november-2025-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/enu-mindcrea\/2025\/12\/01\/cedar-november-2025-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"CEDAR November 2025 meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday, the 25th of November 2025, CEDAR welcomed two PhD researchers who shared their exciting work on how our built environment shapes social connections and creativity. The session also hosted visitors from 56three Architects<\/strong>, who joined the discussions and explored CEDAR’s VR lab facilities.<\/p>\n

Tackling Loneliness Through Urban Design<\/h2>\n

Pouria Boujari<\/strong> presented research on a growing challenge: older adults are increasingly isolated in UK communities, and urban design might be part of the solution.<\/p>\n

Why This Matters<\/h3>\n

The numbers are sobering. By 2026, 2 million people aged 50+ in England will often feel lonely. Currently, 8.4 million people live alone in the UK\u2014that’s 30% of all households\u2014and half of them are over 65.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Big Question<\/h3>\n

Can the way we design our neighbourhoods bring generations together? Pouria’s research explores how different urban forms\u2014from housing types and street layouts to parks and transport\u2014either encourage or prevent younger and older people from connecting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surprisingly, most research on this topic has been done in the US and Asia, leaving the UK largely unexplored. And while studies have examined individual elements such as parks or housing, no one has examined how the overall urban form affects intergenerational interactions\u2014or how these interactions might improve mental health.<\/p>\n

What’s Next<\/h3>\n

Pouria will compare different UK neighbourhoods to identify which urban design features help people of all ages connect. The goal? Design guidelines that create spaces where generations naturally meet and interact.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

When Sketches Become Experiences<\/h2>\n

Iyad Sawaftah<\/strong> asked a fascinating question: “What happens when our sketches become an experience, not a drawing?”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

His research explores how Virtual Reality is transforming architecture\u2014not just as a tool to show clients future buildings, but as a way to understand how spaces affect our creativity and thinking.<\/p>\n

From Passive to Active<\/h3>\n

Iyad’s first three experiments had participants experiencing virtual environments, but they were just observers. His innovative fourth experiment flips the script: participants will actively customise their virtual lab environment.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

By comparing how people perform in a bare white lab versus one they’ve personalised themselves, Iyad can measure how environmental control affects creativity and cognitive flexibility.<\/p>\n

The Urban Future<\/h3>\n

The research doesn’t stop at individual rooms. Iyad envisions studying creativity at the urban scale, asking questions like:<\/p>\n